196: Chapter 196 One Whale Fall Brings Life to All Things

Qingjiang County Party Committee building, Secretary's office.

Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei sat on the guest chair opposite the desk, his body perched on the edge.

The document titled "Application for Characterization of Illicit Funds and Financial Restitution" lay quietly on the spacious desk.

Secretary Lu Guoliang flipped through it page by page.

The only sound in the room was the faint rustle of paper.

After a full ten minutes, Secretary Lu Guoliang finished the last page.

He picked up his fountain pen and wrote down his approval comments.

"I approve the transfer of fifty percent of the involved funds to be used specifically for the restitution of the withheld compensation for the villagers of Heishui Village. The remaining fifty percent is to be turned over to the national treasury in accordance with the law. The County Finance Bureau is requested to allocate the funds immediately, and the County Audit Department shall supervise the execution process throughout and provide feedback on schedule."

With the final stroke, Secretary Lu Guoliang capped the pen.

He pressed the intercom on his desk.

"Lin Hao, come in for a moment."

Moments later, the liaison Lin Hao pushed the door open and entered.

"Secretary Lu."

Secretary Lu Guoliang pushed the approved document forward.

"Take this material to the Party and Government Office to be copied for the archives, and send the original to the County Government today."

"This matter involves grassroots livelihood, so the Party and Government Office will monitor the subsequent flow of funds and the implementation status throughout."

Lin Hao took the document with both hands and nodded in agreement.

"Additionally," Secretary Lu Guoliang clasped his hands together, "call Secretary Qiu Dehai of the Heishi Town Committee yourself and notify him that I, as the County Party Secretary, will personally go down to observe the restitution ceremony for the Heishui Village compensation."

"Find a few sharp people to spread the word in the county-level government agencies."

"Just say that Comrade Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei, who cares deeply about grassroots livelihood, came to request the County Party Committee's approval under pressure the moment he received the application materials from the town. The County Party Committee recognizes such responsible cadres. Do you understand?"

Lin Hao held the document, lowered his head, and agreed.

This was an attempt to forcibly strip the credit for pushing the fund restitution from County Mayor Gu Mingchuan and pin it on Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei, while simultaneously sowing discord within the County Government.

"Understood. I will handle it immediately." Lin Hao held the document and exited the office.

The door closed tightly.

Secretary Lu Guoliang leaned back into his large chair.

"You have received the approval, and you know the County Party Committee's stance." Secretary Lu Guoliang's gaze swept over Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei. "Go handle the business. I won't keep you."

Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei acted as if he had been granted amnesty.

"Very well, Secretary Lu, I will go supervise the fund allocation immediately."

Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei stood up and retreated respectfully.

Watching Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei's back disappear outside the door, Secretary Lu Guoliang placed his teacup back on the desk, his gaze resting on the lead-gray sky outside the window.

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan and Secretary Pang Jianguo had joined forces, making frequent moves, and had already reached out into Heishi Town.

He picked up the landline on his desk and dialed Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan's internal number.

"Comrade Qin Yuanshan." Secretary Lu Guoliang's tone was steady.

"The County Party Committee has always attached great importance to the livelihood security issues in Heishi Town. I have signed off on the confiscated funds, and the Finance Bureau will return a portion to the common people."

On the other end of the line, Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan made no sound, clearly not expecting Secretary Lu Guoliang to release the funds directly.

"However," Secretary Lu Guoliang shifted his tone, "the remainder of this fund after the restitution has already been turned over to the national treasury. As for the subsequent mess and personnel reorganization in Heishui Village, let the Heishi Town Party Committee handle it themselves. The county only looks at the big picture."

Without giving Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan any room to ask questions, Secretary Lu Guoliang hung up the phone decisively.

A warning to the tiger by beating the mountain.

The meaning behind the words could not be clearer: the County Party Committee did not intend to protect the ticking time bomb that was Village Secretary Zhang Dahai and the Zhang Clan.

Let Heishi Town cut ties itself.

The administrative machinery of the Qingjiang County Government, under the will of the Secretary, erupted with rare efficiency.

The next morning, the special funds from the County Finance Bureau were deposited in full into the Heishi Town Government's special account.

Heishi Town, second floor, Deputy Secretary's office.

Zhu Wenhao sat upright behind the large desk.

Director Xu Jie stood to the side, holding notes, checking the detailed breakdown of the funding gap for Heishui Village item by item.

The mobile phone resting on the corner of the desk vibrated.

County Mayor Gu Mingchuan's name popped up on the screen.

Zhu Wenhao raised his hand to signal Director Xu Jie to pause, then pressed the answer button.

"Zhu Wenhao." County Mayor Gu Mingchuan's voice sounded somewhat excited, "I have already arranged for the County Finance Bureau to deposit the funds directly into your Town Government's special account."

"Thank you for the strong support from the County Government," Zhu Wenhao replied.

"This is all for the people of Heishui Village." County Mayor Gu Mingchuan took credit on the other end of the line, "Yesterday, Secretary Lu Guoliang signed the materials. Executive Deputy County Mayor Zhao Guopei lost his temper and obediently went through the procedures. After I finished the sign-off early this morning, I went straight to the Finance Bureau and watched them release the funds."

Zhu Wenhao keenly captured the core information.

"The document was transferred directly from the County Party Committee to the County Government?" He asked.

"Yes, Zhu Wenhao." County Mayor Gu Mingchuan answered, "The approval was sent over by someone from the Party and Government Office."

"I understand. Thank you for your trouble, County Mayor."

Hanging up the communication, Zhu Wenhao placed his phone face down on the desk.

Director Xu Jie's phone in her pocket also vibrated at this moment. She walked to the window, answered, listened for a few sentences, and returned after hanging up.

"Secretary Zhu Wenhao." Director Xu Jie's expression was serious, "Just now, the Town Party and Government Office received an official notification from the County Party and Government Office. Secretary Lu Guoliang is concerned about the villagers of Heishui Village and has requested to personally come down to inspect and attend the fund distribution ceremony on the day the compensation is returned."

Hearing this, Zhu Wenhao picked up his water cup and took a sip of warm water.

"Our County Party Secretary has a sharp eye; he is preparing to come down and pick the peaches."

Zhu Wenhao set the water cup down.

"We charged to the front, dug out the malignant tumor that is Village Secretary Zhang Dahai, and forced the funds back into the account. When the time comes, the loudspeakers will blare, the County Party Committee's news will be broadcast, and Secretary Lu Guoliang will personally appear on the scene to distribute the money to the common people. This will become an excellent model of the Qingjiang County Party Committee's heavy-handed anti-corruption efforts and its care for the people."

Zhu Wenhao analyzed the situation with a cold eye.

"The Zhang Clan is destined to become the sacrificial lamb in this game."

Director Xu Jie pulled out the chair opposite and sat down, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"Secretary Zhu Wenhao, didn't Secretary Lu Guoliang support Deputy Secretary Qin Yuanshan and Secretary Qiu Dehai just two days ago, intending to suppress the alliance between Secretary Pang Jianguo and County Mayor Gu Mingchuan? Why has the wind suddenly changed direction today, and why is he using the Zhang Clan as a sacrificial flag?"

"The way of political maneuvering lies in adapting to the times. There are no permanent alliances, only the maximization of interests."

"Secretary Lu Guoliang is an extremely intelligent superior. Since Village Secretary Zhang Dahai's case can no longer be covered up, and the clues regarding the Zhang Clan's involvement in organized crime have reached the desk of the Provincial Anti-Gang Office Supervision Team, this means this time bomb could explode at any moment. The risk is too high."

"If he continues to stubbornly protect the old status quo, once the higher-ups investigate, he, as the County Party Secretary, will be the first to bear the responsibility for negligence."

Zhu Wenhao clasped his hands together in front of his chest.

"Therefore, he made a decisive decision to go with the flow. He uses half of the illicit funds to return to the people in exchange for huge political achievements in winning public support. Then, he will firmly pin the blame for the anti-organized crime efforts on the Zhang Clan."

"Since Village Secretary Zhang Dahai is the perpetrator, if the higher-ups want to investigate, they can't just drag out a small village secretary to take the fall. Eliminating the deeply rooted Zhang Clan to provide an explanation to the higher-ups and the people is what's called: When a whale falls, everything flourishes."

Upon hearing this, Director Xu Jie felt a chill in her fingertips.

"Then what about Secretary Qiu Dehai?" Director Xu Jie asked.

"Secretary Lu Guoliang can naturally control the scope of the crackdown." Zhu Wenhao's gaze fell on the corridor outside the door, "As long as he uses this storm to push all the responsibility onto Village Secretary Zhang Dahai and the local clan, and takes the opportunity to strike at various factions, as long as he doesn't let the fire burn Secretary Qiu Dehai, and keeps him in the position of Town Party Secretary to continue to check and balance, hasn't Secretary Lu Guoliang achieved his goal?"

He straightened his body and turned his gaze back to the verification roster.

"For those in politics, one shouldn't fear others coming to steal credit; one should only fear that things won't move forward. If Secretary Lu Guoliang wants to pick the peaches, I will present them to him with both hands. As long as the compensation funds fall into the pockets of the common people without a single cent missing, and as long as we can leverage the momentum of the County Party Committee to completely crush the Zhang Clan."

Zhu Wenhao pushed the roster toward Director Xu Jie.

"Our goal has also been achieved. This was my original intention when I insisted on taking the move of seeking restitution through the County Finance Bureau."

He picked up the signature pen and uncapped it.

"Don't worry about how the county is calculating. Just make sure the accounts are clear and the process for receiving the money is solid."

Zhu Wenhao gave the instruction.

"Continue working."